Chennai Super Kings has already penned an unwanted record in the latest edition of the IPL as for the first time in the history of the tournament, the team has slumped down to three consecutive defeats.
Out of the three, two of them have come due to batting fiascos while the second game was lost as Jadeja somehow lost the plot in an evenly poised game and wanted Shivam Dube to pull off a miracle with the latter getting hammered for 25 runs in an over. Much to the woes of their fans, there has been zero chemistry so far and the team is heavily reliant on individual brilliance instead of a collective show of teamwork.
With eleven games still to go, a turnaround can be just a win away. However, does Chennai has the firepower to keep the momentum in their sails, or has their landslide into decadence just begun? In this story, we will be taking a look at three reasons why Chennai is still to get off the mark in IPL 2022.
#1 Opener’s form
Chennai’s strategy in the auction was straightforward as they were hellbent to get the entire band back from IPL 2021. They were definitely successful to a certain extent only to miss out on one of their key players, Faf du Plessis. The South African opener was an absolute beast in the middle and would save a flailing CSK batting order from the hostilities of the expressmen. They wanted to replace Faf with Devon Conway which seemed like a sagacious move on the day of the auction, considering the preceding reputation of the New Zealander, however, when it comes to franchise cricket, numbers in the international circuit can very well be a smokescreen. Conway’s dynamicity is nowhere close to the South African and by the time he gets his eyes, the powerplays are almost done, taking out a chunk of the sting from Chennai Super Kings’ batting.
Coming to last year’s Orange Cap holder, Ruturaj Gaikwad, the youngster has so far been clueless about what exactly has been the scenario with him. The surfaces in Mumbai have provided early bounce and swing, making it difficult for the openers to trade haymakers. The youngster clearly has had struggles trying to negotiate the early movement and has fallen miserably at the face of experience. If Chennai will have to throw a stopper in their nosedive, the first and foremost need of the hour is that their openers start finding their stride. Also, Robin Uthappa is definitely a clean striker of the cherry but at his age, if you would rely on him to bail you out on every occasion, it is utter foolishness.
#2 Absence of Deepak Chahar is denting Chennai Super Kings badly
Deepak Chahar was Chennai’s most expensive purchase at the auction that saw them splurging an insane 14 crore for the aspiring all-rounder. Needless to say, he has proven himself invaluable to the likes of the Super Kings. However, while plying his trade for India, he suffered a quadriceps injury that took him out for a major part of the IPL. This is where everything has gone wrong for Chennai Super Kings. Their main punt to attack the opposition in the initial overs has simply not been visible and as the days pass by, the absence of Chahar is evident in the most blazing livery.
#3 An inexperienced bowling attack
Chennai let go of Josh Hazlewood in the precursor edition of the tournament and now their bowling has been as blunt as ever as they still try desperately to make ends meet. Chris Jordan has been battered left and right while Dwayne Bravo’s form has been highly questionable. Trying to bring young guns when the pressure is enormous is just tomfoolery and somehow Chennai has seemed to be attracted to these decisions. Dwayne Pretorious has returned decent figures but when it comes to cut and run encounters, it is tough for just one bowler to change the hustle. Now, in a tournament where out of 11 matches, on 6 glaring occasions, the bowlers have walked away with the man of the match award, it is needless to say that if one needs to display dominance in the tournament, they will need an ace bowler who can conveniently tip the scales of the game.